Peach-stoner



J. E. SMITH.

PEAGH'STONEB.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 12, 1887.

INVEQNTIOR WITNE ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY SMITH, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

PEACH-STONER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,093, dated April 12, 1887.

Application filed October 23, 1886, Serial No. 217,065. (XomodeL) stoner which will cut and stone from three and one-half to four bushels of clingstone peaches per hour, and which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved peach-stoner. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the jaws, and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the same.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A represents the cast-iron supporting-frame of my improved peach-stoner, which is secured by a clamping-screw to the edge of a table or other suitable place. The upper part of this frame is formed with the extension B, having.

vertical bearings for the central rod, D, and the side rods, 0 C, which are connected to the rod D at their upper and lower ends by the cross-pieces G C, the object of using three rods where they pass through the bearings of the frame A being to prevent any side movement and cause the knives to descend perfectly straight and true.

To the upper end of the rod D is pivoted the operating-handle F, as shown, a spring, F, serving to raise the handle automatically when the downward pressure is removed from it. To the lower end of the rodD is centrally secured the fiat steel spring G, which is bent at right angles at its corners, as shown, and carries at its lower ends the jaws H H, the meeting upper edges of which are formed with the recesses H and the tongues H fitting and sliding in the said recesses, these tongues serving to prevent side movement of either jaw as'the jaws are moved apart when their cutters pass around the peach-stone.

In the lower bifurcated free ends of the j aws H are j ournaled the circular revolving cutters I I, the edges of which are beveled and sharpened, to adapt them to cut the peach in halves. To the lower ends of the jaws, on

each side of the wheel-cutters, are secured the curved knives J J, as shown.

To the lower cross-bar, O, is secured the upper ends of side knife-supports, K, which are provided at their lower ends with the auxiliary knives K K, which extend down on each side of the knives and are formed at their lower free ends with the curved sharpened cutting-edges, which operate in the manner hereinafter described. These auxiliary knives K are formed of spring-steel.

The supports K have slots or openings is, into which-project the projections k on the jaws H, which projections may fit sufficiently loose within the openingsk to permit thejaws to move outward and inward to pass around a peach-stone, while the top wall of the opening has a bearing at l, which prevents any upward movement of the arms H. Except for this, .when the wheels and the knives are pressed into or onto a hard peach, the spring G might give and the wheels and knives be thrown inward, and thus become locked and refuse to cut at all; but the projections k of jaws H coming through the slots in supports K have just room to permit the knives to play back and travel around thepeachstone; The frame has a laterally-extended shelf, M, having a slot formed throughit, and on said shelf, on opposite sides of the slot, is placed the curved knives L L,-

In operation the peach is placed upon the small stationary curved knives L L, which are secured upon the outwardly-extending shelf M at the lower end of the main frame A, these knives cutting into the lower end of the peach until they strike the stone. At the same time the handle F is depressed by the operator, the circular cutters I, cutting into the peach, striking the stone on its flat sides and at the stem end, the peach being set on the lower shelf was to receive the cutters in that position. When the circular cutters have cut into the peach and meet with the resist ance of the stone,they of course travel around the stone, the spring G admitting of this movement, carrying the curved knives J with them at equal distances from the stone, the peach being thus divided and cut away from the stone, except a small strip at the sharp edges of the stone, which is cut away by the ICO curved auxiliary springknives K K, which, as above stated, are formed of spring-steel to permit them to follow the curvature of the stone. When the peach is thus cut in half and entirely separated from its stone,its halves fall off the bench M into a box or other receptacle placed there to receive them, and the stone passes up into or between the jaws and is pushed up and out by the next stone. From the time the peach is set on the bench it is out into two parts and disposed of in less than two seconds, the one downward movement of the operating-handle completing the whole operation.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved peach-stoner will be readily understood.

It will be seen that my improved machine is strong and simple in construction, and it is perfect in its operation. It works with great rapidity and certainty, cutting from three and one-half to four bushels of elingstone peaches per hour.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with the supportingframe and the vertically-reciproeating rod, of the spring secured to the lower end of said rod and bent into the form shown, the jaws having the bifurcated lower ends, the circular cutters and the curved blades secured thereto, and the stationary curved knives secured, as described, upon the projecting lower part of the supporting-frame, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the supportingframe and the vertically-reeiprocating rod, of the spring secured to the lower end of said rod and bent into the form shown, the jaws having the bifurcated lower ends and having their upper meeting edges formed with the recesses and tongues, the circular cutters and the curved knives secured in the lower ends of the said jaws, the auxiliary spring-knives, and the stationary curved knives, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the supportingframe and the vertically -reeiprocating rod having the spring secured to its lower end, of the jaws carrying the circular cutters and the curved knives at their lower ends,the auxiliary spring knives, and the stationary curved knives, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the supportingframe having the three vertical bearings at its upper extended portion, of the cross-pieces O C, the central rod and the side rods connected together by the cross-pieces, the operatinghandle, the spring secured to thelower end of the central red, the jaws carrying the circular cutters and the curved knives at their lower ends, the auxiliary springknives, and the stationary curved knives.

5. The combination of the spring G, the jaws H, supported thereby and having projectionslc,a11d the supports K, having openings [5, fitted to receive the projections k, and supports for and means whereby to operate the spring andjaws, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the supportingframe having the three vertical bearings at its upper extended portion, of the central springactuated rod and the side rods connected together by the cross-pieces, the operating-handle, the spring secured to the lower end of the central rod, the jaws carrying the circular cutters and the curved knives at their lower ends, the auxiliary spring-knives, and the stationary curved knives, all substantially as and for the purpose hereinset forth.

JAMES HENRY SMITH.

Witnesses:

R. D. L. BALL, \V. L. RAY. 

